Patients who are required to spend considerable time in a wheelchair experience discomfort associated with the design of the commonly used wheelchairs. Two notable problems experienced with such wheelchairs are lack of any support for the head and upper back area and requiring the patient to maintain the same posture while seated. The latter problem causes "bedsores" particularly in the buttocks due to the weight distribution imposed on a patient sitting upright for prolonged periods of time. The former problem causes general patient discomfort and fatigue due to lack of support for the head and upper body.
These problems have been addressed by the prior art which proposes various solutions. U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,986,200 and 3,712,671 suggest innovative wheelchair configurations which tilt to permit the patient to assume a reclined position. Such wheelchairs are not available to many patients due to cost thereof. U.S. Pat. No. 3,881,773 suggest a modification to a wheelchair to include an innovative back which can tilt to permit the patient to recline. This proposed solution is likewise costly. U.S. Pat. No. 3,674,310 provides a relatively low cost solution to these problems by suggesting a head rest attachment for a standard wheelchair. The disadvantage of this device is that tilting of the chair can only be accomplished at fixed locations since it requires a cooperating hook to be mounted in a fixed support such as a wall which engages the upper handgrip of the attachment.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a relatively inexpensive attachment for common wheelchairs which is readily attachable to the wheelchair, is safe to use, provides head and shoulder support which can be adjusted for the particular patient combination wheelchair and supports the chair when tilted to redistribute the patient's weight or change the body pressure points on the chair and provides the comfort of a reclining position.